Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

Overview

Reporting officials

• Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy

  Strategy, Plans, & Capabilities

• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development is responsible for providing long-term and strategic advice on security issues and the development policies, strategies, processes, and capabilities for national security and the United States Armed Forces.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Plans is responsible for the development of operational planning guidance, oversight of plan reviews, global force management policy, and global posture planning for the United States Department of Defense.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy is responsible for the development and review of policies for nuclear forces, global strike and missile defense capabilities, requirements for future capabilities, and oversight of operational planning.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Security Cooperation is responsible for the bilateral and multilateral security cooperation activities.

  International Security Affairs

• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs provides advice on international security strategy, defense policy, and oversight of security cooperation programs relating to Sub-Sahara Africa.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East provides advice on international security strategy, defense policy, and oversight of security cooperation programs relating to the Middle East and North Africa.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO provides advice on international security strategy, defense policy, and oversight of security cooperation programs relating to Europe and NATO.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia provides advice on international security strategy, defense policy, and oversight of security cooperation programs relating to conventional arms control, Russia, Ukraine, Western Balkans, and Eurasian nations.
• The Secretary of Defense Representative in the United States Mission to NATO.
• The Secretary of Defense Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

  Homeland Defense & Global Security

• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy is responsible for the development and implementation of cyber policies, strategies, and plans to guide the United States Department of Defense including the United States Cyber Command.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy is responsible for the policy and guidance of space policy and space-related issues including international space cooperation of the United States Department of Defense.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction is responsible for the policy and guidance for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear protection, weapons of mass destruction countermeasures, and counterproliferation and non-proliferation.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Integration and Defense Support of Civil Authorities is responsible for the development, coordination, and oversight of the integration and implementation of plans and policy for defense support of civil authorities and civil-military co-operation.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Defense Continuity and Mission Assurance is responsible for the development of policies and plans for continuity of operations, mission assurance, counterterrorism, emergency management, and critical infrastructure protection.

  Special Operations & Low Intensity Conflict

• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics and Global Threats is responsible for the policy, resources, strategic capabilities and force transformation, and oversight of special capabilities for counternarcotics and global threats.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs is responsible for the policy, resources, strategic capabilities and force transformation, and oversight of conflict stabilization activities, peace operations, and humanitarian relief efforts.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combatting Terrorism is responsible for the policy, resources, strategic capabilities and force transformation, and oversight of counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, foreign internal defense, and psychological operations as well as providing staff oversight of the United States Special Operations Command resources, budget, and program development issues.

  Asian & Pacific Security Affairs

• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia provides advice on international security strategy, defense policy, and oversight of security cooperation programs relating to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia provides advice on international security strategy, defense policy, and oversight of security cooperation programs relating to India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Diego Garcia, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands nations.
• The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia provides advice on international security strategy, defense policy, and oversight of security cooperation programs relating to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

  Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Defense Security Cooperation Agency

Defense Technology Security Administration

Budget

Budget totals

Budget features

• Defense Critical Infrastructure Program : Oversees policy formulation and strategic planning for the Defense Critical Infrastructure Program, to include the Defense Industrial Base, which provides defense-related products and services that are essential to equip; mobilize; deploy and sustain military operations, enabling the Warfighter to minimize risk. Ensures the resiliency of networked infrastructure assets, whether owned or operated by the DoD or private industry, that are critical to executing military missions. Activities include the identification, assessment, monitoring, and risk management of cyber and physical infrastructure assets critical to the execution of the National Military Strategy. DCIP is run under the auspices of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs, where it is overseen by the DASD, Homeland Defense Strategy and Force Planning.
• Global Threat Management: Provides policy, guidance and oversight on existential threats, supranational threats and non-state actor threats. OUSD fulfills this global mission by crafting and implementing initiatives to expand cultural understanding throughout the world in governed and ungoverned areas to aid in preventing the expansion of terrorist cells. Utilizes table top exercises to enable Members of Congress, Administration Officials, and DoD personnel to form strategies in addressing catastrophic security events. Active research and involvement in the ever-changing cyber environment to protect security assets and prevent sophisticated threats in cyberspace from adversaries domestic and foreign. This funding appears to primarily support the programs of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs.
• Homeland Defense Support Activities: Formulates policy and conducts DoD strategic planning for homeland defense and defense support of civil authorities, including installation preparedness; CBRNE preparedness and consequence management; border security and National Security Special Events. Supports the U.S. Northern Command in homeland defense strategy, and enhances the U.S. Southern Command mission through engagement with the ministries of defense of Western Hemisphere nations. It supervises intradepartmental and inter-agency coordination of the above issues. Conducts oversight of DoD processes to exercise force readiness through the National Exercise Program. Manages defense continuity and conducts crisis management. This funding appears to primarily support the programs of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas' Security Affairs.
• Policy Planning and Integration: OUSD coordinates activities to aid in formulating strategies for DoD programs at national and international levels. This involves establishing and monitoring strategic direction, planning and force development as laid out in reporting documents such as the Quadrennial Defense Review and Defense Planning and Programming Guidance. OUSD ensures decisions are not made in a vacuum by integrating policies and resources related to humanitarian efforts and their compliance with international laws. Initiates crisis decision-making in an interagency setting; creates forums to explore emerging national security issues; and examines the capabilities and limitations of national power through various instruments. Funding allows interagency integration and coordination to determine requirements for potential dual-use application of Defense assets.
• Regional Security Affairs: Provides analysis of management of cultural situations in nation states and oversight to military joint ventures and cooperative DoD-Foreign government programs including educational, training, and developmental opportunities. Using a variety of resources, maintains regional expertise to support DoD leadership in forming and implementing strategies and contributes to coordinating holistic government engagement in programs and policies. Regional expertise provides the ability to: monitor and solve security cooperation issues, effectively execute coalition management, monitor international security operations, and further develop cooperative relations with foreign countries. This funding appears to primarily support the programs of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs and Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
• Rewards Program: Provides funds to publicize the program and pay rewards for information to disrupt international terrorist activities.
• Travel: This funding supports travel in support of the OUSD mission.
• US Mission to NATO: Funding provides regional stability interface with US allies, NATO resolution of regional conflicts, response to terrorism and unstable conditions in fragile and failed nation states that include NATO involvement, weapons of mass destruction bilateral measures, and support of overseas facilities.
• Warfighting Support Activities: OUSD provides resources to orchestrate the development of special technologies and capabilities. It sustains these efforts by conducting in-depth analyses of the assignment of additional military and civilian personnel to long-term, non-intelligence positions in high-priority countries. Prepares the military for confronting threats in culturally diverse countries, supports policies and strategies that develop skills unique to counterinsurgency and stabilization efforts; reinforces and builds international support over shared security concerns, homeland security, counterterrorism and other critical nation alliances, and promotes humanitarian activities through military resources in a non-combative manner. Provides funds to pay rewards for information to disrupt international terrorist activities and enhance US security capabilities. This funding appears to primarily support the programs of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities

  Office holders

Principal Deputy